Course transfers

Information about course transfers for students with a Tier 4 visa

Please note that as a Tier 4 visa holder, there are some things that the University
must consider before permitting you to transfer (change) to another course.

Academic progression

Before allowing you
to transfer to any other course or level of study, other than that stated on
your CAS, the University is required to justify to UKVI that this represents
academic progression.

Generally, any
transfer that means you drop down a stage or an academic level would not be
permitted as it does not represent academic progression. For example if you
were currently studying in stage 3 and wanted to transfer to another course and
start at stage 1.

Another example
would be if you were studying at master’s degree level and then wanted to
transfer to an undergraduate degree instead.

UKVI want to see
that you are making progress on your degree by progressing through the stages,
and that each course you undertake is higher up on the RQF (Regulated
Qualifications Framework) scale than your previous study in the UK.

For example; you
have completed a foundation programme that was mapped at RQF 3, and now you are
on a degree programme that is mapped at RQF 6. This is clear progression.

You may be able to
transfer to another course at the same level; for example, you are studying Year 2 of an undergraduate degree and wish to transfer to another programme and
start that course at Year 2; however, this still must be justified by the
University to UKVI.

In order to justify
if a course transfer meets UKVI academic progression requirements, we would
look at two main things; are you continuing your studies in the same subject
area, or does the course transfer support your genuine career aspirations.
Therefore, it is important to provide evidence to support why you wish to
transfer, and we may ask you to write a detailed personal statement for this
reason.

When evidencing
your academic progression UKVI and the University will consider any studies you
have done in the UK. Therefore, it is important to tell us about all of your
study history in the UK, when applying initially or if you need a further CAS
once studying here.

You should be able
to find the academic level (NQF level or RQF level) of your previous course(s)
studied in the UK on the CAS statement issued by the institution that you
studied with.

In some cases, we
may not be able to support your request to change course, if we as your Tier 4
sponsor feel that it does not represent academic progression. You should be
aware of these requirements and ensure that when making your initial
application you have carefully researched your chosen course.

Please note that if
you have previously been permitted to transfer course and that course was not
completed, if you need to extend your visa in the future you will not be able
to do this in the UK. This is due to the academic progression rules set out by
UKVI.

The International
Student Advice service will assist you in making further Tier 4 visa
applications, but you should be aware that you would likely have to apply
outside the UK.

Transferring
course and course duration

Please note that if
you transfer to a course that is longer than the original course we issued your
CAS for, you will need to obtain new leave (a new visa) to cover the duration
of the new course. This new visa must be obtained before you will be
permitted to enrol on the new programme, so you should consider this if
requesting a transfer to a longer programme.

It is likely that
you would have to apply for your new visa outside the UK, but International
Student Advice would be able to advise you on this at the time.

If you transfer to
a course that is shorter than the original course we issued your CAS for, we
will report to UKVI when you have completed your studies and your visa will be
curtailed at that point. This means that your visa will be cancelled and you
will be expected to leave the UK at that point.

ATAS

If you transfer
onto a course that requires ATAS, or change your thesis title (postgraduate research students) then you will need to apply for an ATAS certificate or a new
ATAS certificate if you already hold one.

The International
Student Advice service will be able to guide you in this.

Full time

Any course that you wish to transfer onto must be full time
and meet UKVI requirements on courses that are suitable for Tier 4 students. If
the course does not meet UKVI requirements you will not be permitted to
transfer onto it.

If you have any queries about course transfers and Tier 4,
please make an appointment with an advisor in International Student Advice (ISA).